From Concept to Creation:Our Transparent Creative Process. Graphic Design Denver

We wanted to discuss the way we work. From concepts and ideas to vector or render, we are always transparent in the process. We find that when it comes to great work, the more exploration you do the better your chances are at finding something unique, creative, and reflecting of the brand. Below are our steps to finding a solution to a problem.

Step 1 - Discovery and Research - Graphic Design Denver

How are you supposed to automatically know an industry or brand without the research? The answer is, you DON'T KNOW. The world is constantly moving at lightning speeds - updated disk spaces, faster network bandwidths, simplistic user experiences - that a lot of creators tend to lean towards shortcuts and finalized solutions without the research. This is a huge mistake as so many opportunities are missed to hit a deadline.The truth is, there is a way to hit tight deadlines AND do the research and discovery. You are fooling yourself if you think a day of research is not worth the effort. If you have a 2-3 day deadline, you can take out other areas of your process, but it is KEY to keep the discovery part of that process if you want your clients to be happy with your work in graphic design denver.We enforce this by always allowing 30% of our creative work given to discovery and research. No matter how tight the deadline is, we will always give 30% of the allotted time to discovering creative ideas.

Step 2 - Defining the Strategy

After the research is concluded and we know our client's industry in and out, we discuss the strategy we need to accomplish the client's goals. The brand strategy is a crucial point for hitting the future target goals. What is the theme? What is the tone? How will the solution be applied? To what avenues will the strategy apply? What are the costs? What are the benefits/consequences for strategy x,y,z? All these questions are defined in the strategy phase.We create a document that defines the ongoing strategy as we iterate our ideas and work directly with the client so they can see exactly how the gears are turning. This eliminates a significant amount of "surprise factors" or incorrect solutions. Many times a creator will create something from a-z, without the client involved in the process at all. This eventually creates a disconnect, since usually, the client has something totally different in mind than the designer, graphic design denver.

Step 3 - Sketches, Wireframes, or Flows

Depending on the type of project, we can refer to this as the "early concepting phase," since it's dependent on what the strategy calls for. Is it a website? A Logo? Rebranding? An App? Depending on the project, we will move to the early stages of creating. Very rough sketches/mockups/user flows are created quickly giving a vast quantity of options, to begin with. It's no secret that quantity leads to quality, and depending on how far you dove into discovery, it makes this phase either easy or difficult. This is why it's so important to get the research down early. Sometimes you can pigeonhole yourself into an idea because you lack options.

Step 4 - Tighten Chosen Design Concepts

After several ideas or mockups are chosen, the visual design process begins. We sketch out the layout/flow/design concepts and create several executions and styles of development. We go back to the initial strategy and decide which concept hits the primary factors we are going for. It's not always what looks the coolest or is the most creative, it has to hit the strategy points! What is going to WORK comes before what looks good. It's important to note the UX Design process showing through with this style of thinking. We implemented UX Design processes into our strategy graphic design denver, and this is a key feature of that process at work!Functionality is design. Less design is a better design. A good user experience comes first in our strategy and at this point in the creative process, we hope this shows in our work. If it does not, it's important we iterate until we find the right solution.

Step 5 - Test!

At this point, the research should support the mockup, the quality of the project should be reflective of the strategy chosen, and we should be getting very close to a final product. So how do we ensure it's success? We TEST! Depending on the project, we use several different testing methods to receive proper feedback. For an app, we would send the app prototype to a series of users to test and respond. Depending on the feedback, we iterate the process until the app functions perfectly. For a logo, we send the logo to people both in and out of the industry or field. All age groups are also involved in these tests, and no particular person is chosen for feedback.The goal is to have this product work for any client or consumer unless specified otherwise or the audience is a direct target. For the most part, we want the solution to function for the mass public. A good design is usable for all, not just a select few.We come back to Don Norman's quote from "The Design of Everyday Things." He discusses the use of a washing machine with all the functions and buttons one could desire. The problem is, the general public uses maybe 2 of all these options. One would assume more options the better, but for a good user experience, this could not be further from the truth.

Empathy is understanding a user's problems and working to solve that problem from their perspective, not just yours. We test and iterate our projects until they work for the audience or client. Growth is learning from the errors or mistakes through the process and creating an even better product. These are in our core values and take them seriously.

Step 6 - Iterate & Finalize

Even all the way down here, with the final product just inches from production, we still make sure it hits the right targets. We will iterate the process as a whole if it doesn't meet the client's needs, and enforce their decision in choosing us as their designer.After a design is chosen and a tightened concept is created, we are ready to digitize, vector, render, or develop. The final deliverables are created rather quickly since all the groundwork has been done in advance. At this point in the process, the timeline should be quick and the delivery effective. The correct files are created and the packaged work is delivered within the allotted timeline.All this said and done, we still come back and follow up with our clients later. This could be one month, six months, or a year later, but we will always follow up on the final design for analytics and reports on the success of our design.